"As a young player this is what you really hope for and it's what you strive for," Dennis said.

"With Greg definitely out for this week and who knows how much longer for, this is his opportunity and what he came up here for.

"This is his chance to step up."Dumovic, a 208cm forward/ centre who most recently played with the Canberra Gunners in the Southeast Australian Basketball League (SEABL), moved up to Townsville in December to pursue a top-league opportunity.

Despite a lack of NBL opportunities so far, he has pedigree on the junior national representative stage having won silver at last year's World University Games in Russia as a teammate of Todd Blanchfield and Mitch Norton and played for the Australian under-17 and under-19 teams.

"From a junior point of view he's got heaps of experience and the thing I like about him is he doesn't back down from anybody," Dennis said.

"That's going to bode well for him so it's a really good situation."

Vanderjagt will have an MRI this week to clear him of any ligament or cartilage damage.

"It's no break which is good but he won't play this week and he will get an MRI this week and obviously he'll see the specialist from there," Dennis said.